Norwegian Wood

In my mind, the Norwegian Wood is a magical place, where there are trees that surround you from all directions, asleep as the days of winter pass. Where it is quiet. Where one's footsteps digging deep into the layers of uncompacted snow is the loudest sound that can be heard.Where a fox's trails can be found, but not followed. Where the remnants of a woodpecker's breakfast lay on the ground. Where the snow wafts softly and quietly, caught in one's eyelashes from time to time. Where the breath becomes visible for a fleeting moment. Where the trees are scarred by water that freezes inside them, releasing a loud cracking sound, if you are lucky enough to catch it. Where the wind is still and the branches are unmoving. Where one can make her first snow angel. Where the trunk of a fallen tree becomes something you can lean on to rest. Where taking a single step can send one's leg falling deep into the snow.Where the cry of an unknown bird can be heard from afar.Where the temperature in the atmosphere is -15°Celsius or lower. Where perfect snowflakes fall gently onto one's wool gloves. Where the tip of one's nose becomes red and numb. Where one can have a cup of warm coffee, no matter how bland or bitter. Where one could read a book.Where one could stay for hours, deep in thought in the Norwegian Wood.

These pictures were taken during my trip to Japan, in Hokkaido, but this is how I would imagine Norwegian Wood to be.

A Greenhouse in Farm Tomita

One of the places I visited in Hokkaido was a flower farm located in Nakafurano, called Farm Tomita. Early April probably isn't the best time to visit since the weather is still very cold and there is still so much snow. Normally, the vast fields of unadulterated snow are filled with streams of colorful flowers. But during the winter time, Farm Tomita keeps their flora inside a greenhouse, so anyone can visit at any time and still enjoy a beautiful array of flowers, including lavender, poppies, and marigolds.

Visiting the farm early in the morning was just amazing, The greenhouse was very cozy. I could have spent hours inside there, just looking at the flowers and sitting on a bench. It would have been absolutely amazing to sit there with a book and a cup of coffee, different from the usual coffee shop, ha ha! I was a little bit sad because I was expecting the room to smell like lavender, but the lavender was still in the process of blooming. So instead, the air was cool and crisp, and very fresh, as if the little greenhouse was a box of spring. There was also a little brick well covered in moss. I was taken aback when I read a sign that said "Do not feed the fish." There were fish in that well!

It wasn't so long ago

Another photo of sakura, taken in Osaka.

How long has it been since then?

Not very long, actually.

But it feels almost like a dream to me now.

Sakura

What I'd give to be underneath the cherry tree once more, 

watching the delicate pink petals fall softly like snow.

Where the Wild Things Are

No doubt the wild things are found outside! And outside is a place I haven't been to lately.. So my boyfriend and I took a little stroll around my neighborhood.

Please welcome the latest addition to me and my boyfriend's army of cutie-pies! Maybe you can recognize him? He is Rilakkuma's chick-friend. It was given to me for our anniversary, tee hee. I love the nostrils. I'm thinking of naming it Chickadee. Or Nostrils, perhaps.

These pictures don't show how cool the sky was. You could see the rays of light so clearly. I also find it so amazing when the sky is somehow is pink, purple, orange and blue at the same time.

I took a couple of pictures from the plants in my garden. I love squishing these tiny, red plump things. It makes such a nice blotch on the ground. As if a tiny tomato exploded, or popping a huge zit. Or something.

My boyfriend and I also met Abet, the cute Pomeranian! The person walking him told us he was owned by foreigners, and that he gets to stay in an air-conditioned room. What a pampered dog.

So that is the end of our wonderful day in the wilderness. Wilderness being any place that is not my room or a mall and has some, you know. Wild stuff. I hope you all had a great day yourselves!

On a less positive note, I recently got into a car accident. It was my first one. No one was injured, thankfully, however the gravity of it all has inflicted much stress on me. I can't sleep at night. Damn the driver that hit my car. DAMN HIM.

I want to hibernate like the trees.

If only life permitted me to do what I want. All I really want to do is draw, take pictures, paint, BLOG, but I feel like I can't. For some reason, time is passing by much more quickly, and I can't seem to find a moment of peace. Not to mention I have a glut of work to do in school. There always seems to be a test I have to study for, a paper due, a project to be done. And if I do have some time to myself, there is always the sound of a clock ticking at the back of my mind. I end up wasting my time being unproductive. Thinking of work is such a turn off. I want to rest.

Just a little preview of my Rilakkuma photo collection~

By the by, I am starting to get worried about how the Internets is becoming so irresponsible with copyright and stuff. I don't want my Rilakkuma pictures to be stolen! My preciousssss. I am considering adding a watermark to my unprofessional photographs. Weheartit is great and all, but I don't appreciate not being credited for pictures I've taken.